Chapter 1

Shigatse.

In the middle of March, the cold wind whistled, and the already thin air had a kind of chill unique to the plateau. The sunshine in Tibet is long. Before 2 oclock in the afternoon, the sky is vast and clear, without a trace of the twilight of the late winter.

When Ruan Zhao got off the taxi, there were few people at the entrance of Tashilhunpo Monastery.

Although it was still early for the monastery to close at 5 oclock, there were more tour guides waiting in front of the monastery than tourists.

The two backpackers who looked like college students in front were surrounded.

Her appearance not only attracted the attention of the tour guides who wanted to attract customers, but also attracted the attention of the few tourists.

The sunshine in Tibet is strong, and the wind and sun are strong. The local men and women all have dark and rough faces. But Ruan Zhao has a white skin that is completely different from the locals, and her cheeks are as white as the snow on the mountains.

Perhaps because her skin is too white, she looks a little sick without makeup.

Unlike other tourists, she is equipped with a camera backpack.

She is dressed in black, with empty hands, and nothing.

After getting off the bus, they walked towards the temple.

So much so that the tour guide didnt have time to come forward to sell her.

"That..." A voice came from behind.

Ruan Zhao didnt look back, nor did he pause until the other party caught up with her.

It was the taller boy among the two backpackers. He had probably been playing in Tibet for quite a while, and his cheeks were a little red from the sun, but fortunately he was still handsome.

The boy seemed to realize that he was quite abrupt. After stopping Ruan Zhao, he hesitated for a while before whispering: "The tour guide said that the explanation fee is 200 yuan for the whole trip. Its 200 yuan for two of us, and 200 yuan for three people. I think you look like you are alone, why dont you join us in a group."

Ruan Zhao slightly raised her eyelids, and when she looked directly at her, her black eyes revealed a calmness and sharpness that was completely different from her delicate and weak appearance.

At a glance, she saw through the boys little intention of flirting with her in the name of joining a group.

The cold wind on the plateau blew over, bringing a light and cool breath, which suddenly made the boy opposite him feel timid.

The boy whispered to himself: "Im not a bad person, really, I can show you my student ID."

"No, I prefer to be alone," Ruan Zhao finally spoke, her voice was very clear, like the melted snow water on the top of the snow-capped mountains in Tibet, clean and slightly cold.

After speaking, Ruan Zhao turned her head and looked at a Tibetan tour guide who was about to smoke not far away and asked: "Do you want to take the job?"

When traveling here, it is common for people who dont know each other to form a tour guide.

The Tibetan tour guide didnt grab a favorable position to solicit customers at first, and thought he had nothing to do. He was about to finish smoking this cigarette and wait for the next wave of tourists.

Ruan Zhaohui asked this question, and the cigarette in his hand suddenly lost its fragrance. He put it in his pocket and ran over: "Take it, take it."

The tour guide shook off his laziness just now and became energetic: "Beauty, my name is Zhaxi, you can call me that."

But before taking her to the temple, Zhaxi reminded her: "Our tour guide fee is 200 yuan for the whole trip. That means you pay 200 yuan per person, and you also pay 200 yuan for those two handsome boys, otherwise..."

Zhaxi was afraid that he would not explain clearly and be complained about later.

Now the country has stricter and stricter management of tour guides, especially those with formal tour guide certificates like them.

Joining a group is the most common way here.

It saves money and is lively.

"200 yuan, just me."

Ruan Zhao looked indifferent, raised his chin slightly, and motioned him to lead the way directly.

Zhaxi has been a tour guide here for three years, and has seen all kinds of tourists, some are talkative and like to chat, some are taciturn and dont like to talk, some are stingy, and some are generous and have no shortage of money.

I think this girl should be the kind of person who is not short of money and likes quietness.

So he didnt waste any words and went straight to the point.

*

As the residence of the 鈻♀枴, there is too much to talk about in Zha Temple. The whole Buddhist temple is built on the mountain, with red and white Buddhist houses, high and low buildings, golden roofs and red walls. Under the strong sunlight, what comes into view is a brilliant and dazzling scene.

Accompanied by Tashis explanation, Ruan Zhao entered the interior of Zha Temple.

After entering the temple, whenever there was a place suitable for taking pictures, Tashi was particularly considerate and asked her if she wanted to take pictures.

As a result, Ruan Zhao shook her head every time.

While Tashi was speaking the explanation words that he had already memorized, he was wondering in his heart that no tourists who came here, whether they were backpackers or literary youths, did not like taking pictures.

Especially those girls, some of them would deliberately wear Tibetan red skirts and tie their hair with colorful braids to rush over to take pictures.

It was the first time he saw someone who didnt take a picture.

"This place is very suitable for taking photos. Would you like to take a photo?" Tashi made a final effort.

Ruan Zhao didnt know what the tour guide was thinking, nor did she look at the long, deep and winding red corridor he pointed to. Instead, she turned her head and looked at the temple not far away. Such a Buddhist temple not only had Buddha statues that had gone through hundreds of years, but also hung thangkas and murals.

At this moment, her usually indifferent eyes rippled, and she chuckled and said, "Whats so good about taking photos of people?"

If you want to see, you should see old objects.

She came from afar just for the old objects in these temples in Tibet.

Ruan Zhao walked directly into the temple, and Tashi hurried to follow.

Soon, Tashis explanation sounded in the hall, but Ruan Zhao only looked up and stared at the gilded bronze Buddha statue enshrined in the hall, looking at it directly and with interest.

Seeing this, Zhaxi couldnt help but say: "Such Buddha statues are priceless treasures that only our Tibetan temples have."

He is a Tibetan, so he naturally believes in Buddhism. He cant help but feel proud when he mentions these cultural relics.

"There is a price."

This was naturally said by Ruan Zhao. Zhaxi turned his head to look at her in surprise, thinking that he had heard it wrong.

"In 2003, a Ming Dynasty bronze gilt Sakyamuni Buddha statue was sold at a Sothebys auction in Hong Kong for 280 million Hong Kong dollars, which not only set a record for the auction of Buddha statues that year, but also the highest in history."

Zhaxi listened to her cold voice and felt unconvinced: "How can that Buddha statue be compared with our Zha Temple? The Buddha statues in our Zha Temple have a long history and have been enshrined here since the Ming Dynasty."

Who knew that his accusation not only did not embarrass Ruan Zhao, but instead caused her to laugh softly.

She turned her head to look at Tashi and whispered, "The statue of Sakyamuni from the Ming Dynasty that was auctioned can be traced back to the Hongxi period of the Ming Dynasty."

Tashis face was full of "so what" dissatisfaction.

"Zhasi Lunbu Temple was built in 1447, the 12th year of the Zhengtong period of the Ming Dynasty. And Emperor Hongxi was the grandfather of Emperor Zhengtong."

Tashi: "..."

Even if he was dumb, he could hear the implication of Ruan Zhaos words. If we really talk about the longevity, the Buddha statue auctioned for 18 million is probably the grandfather of the Buddha statues in the temple.

"Then... the value of the Buddha statue should not be judged only by the price. Our Buddha statues are all on the national cultural relics protection list and are national treasures," Tashis voice became smaller and smaller under Ruan Zhaos half-smile expression.

Although he is a tour guide, he usually memorizes these historical knowledge by rote.

Now that he is about to argue, he actually lost his eloquence as a tour guide and gradually ran out of words.

Ruan Zhao, on the other hand, had no intention of arguing with him any further.

She quietly raised her head and looked at the bronze statue in the Buddhist temple: "Which cultural relic was not a priceless treasure before it was lost overseas?"

"So, national treasures also have prices, its just a matter of price."

Zhaxi was shocked by her frivolous and matter-of-fact tone, and at that moment he had only one thought.

How could such a beautiful and refined girl be obsessed with money?

Ruan Zhao naturally didnt know what the tour guide was thinking, but even if she knew that the tour guide thought of her like this, she would probably just laugh and praise her for her vision, which was the same as the evaluation of her by those old stubborn people in the industry.

She then walked towards the Buddhist temple next to the main hall, but was stopped by Zhaxi, who apologized: "You cant enter here."

"Not open to the public?" Ruan Zhao asked in a calm voice.

Zhaxi was a little embarrassed and whispered: "Its not that its not open. This is a place where masters enlighten guests. We ordinary people cant enter."

Ruan Zhao couldnt help but sneer. In todays society, material desires are rampant. Even the Buddhist temples that seem to be in the secular world have long been tainted with secular atmosphere.

Look, this is a Buddhist temple that ordinary people cant enter.

*

Ruan Zhao was not disappointed by this little episode.

Its just that not long after she left the hall, when she was walking towards the corridor next to her, her cell phone rang.

She didnt want to answer it. The temples in the mainland have always been crowded with tourists. Its rare to encounter such a quiet temple. Naturally, she didnt want anyone to disturb her leisure and elegance.

But the phone seemed to be against her. It didnt work once, and it rang again.

The call was from Yun Ni, a girl in her store.

As soon as the call was connected, the other party asked anxiously: "Sister Zhao, when will you come back?"

"Whats wrong?"

"During the time you were away, Boss Liu came to our house three times. I think he was really anxious this time. I heard that he just received two good things. But one of them was too damaged, and he was waiting for you to come back to save his life."

The reason why Ruan Zhao knew the origin of cultural relics was because she was a cultural relic restorer.

Its just that she specializes in commercial restoration.

As a restorer, Ruan Zhao is indeed too young, but she is famous.

Her master is Gu Yishun, a Taishan Beidou-level figure in the cultural relic circle. In his early years, he presided over the work in the Palace Museum, and later retired when he was old.

Ruan Zhao was his last disciple when he was 70 years old.

The ceremony of accepting the apprentice was so grand that many people in the cultural relic circle still remember it.

She was born in a famous family and was talented. In particular, she repaired a damaged ancient painting from the Song Dynasty in the year she graduated.

The owner of the painting searched the entire circle, but no one dared to take it over easily.

Many restorers were afraid that they would fail to repair it and ruin their reputation.

Ruan Zhao was bold and daring. She dared to take on what others did not dare to do easily.

In the end, many people who were waiting to see her laugh were disappointed that she really repaired the painting, so she became famous in the circle of cultural relics collection.

Her fame came too quickly, so people often said that she was lucky to be a disciple of Gu Yishun.

Otherwise, who would dare to hand over such a valuable painting to a fledgling restorer.

Ruan Zhao was not in a hurry to defend herself, because after that, she successfully restored it again and again, proving her unique talent in calligraphy and painting restoration.

"Old Liu is not a kind person. He does have some old stuff, but he also has a lot of new stuff. This may be a deliberate rumor. Lets leave him alone."

Ruan Zhao held the phone in his hand, speaking in a cold tone.

In the antique circle, it is not fashionable to talk about authenticity.

So the jargon for identifying fakes is called "new home birth". Later, it was too troublesome and people simply called them new and old.

The new ones are fake, and the old ones are naturally real.

Yun Ni was a little unconvinced, and said confidently: "You didnt see how anxious Boss Liu was, I dont think it was fake. Besides, no matter who he deceives, he wouldnt dare to deceive you."

"Its hard to say," Ruan Zhao walked to the corridor, simply stopped and leaned against the pillar, leaning on it, and said lazily: "This old man is full of tricks, and there are not many hairs left. Fortunately, he has always been honest with me, but now there are only you in the store. Anyway, you are not allowed to accept anything from him before I come back."

"Who knows where he got those goods from, and whether they are prickly."

Although Yun Ni is small, she is not stupid. She understood it and said firmly: "Sister, dont worry, even if I am stupid, dont I still have my brother. But since Boss Liu is not honest, why should we deal with him?"

Ruan Zhao: "He is not honest, but he offers a high price and pays the money happily. Why should I be so hard on money."

This is also the reason why Ruan Zhao was criticized in the circle, loving money and not cherishing his feathers.

Yun Ni didnt think it was a big deal. Even her illiterate mother knew that if you are not envied by others, you are a mediocre person. In her heart, Ruan Zhao is a genius among geniuses. This kind of thing does not affect Ruan Zhaos glorious image in her heart at all. She asked back: "Sister, when will you come back?"

"In two..." Before the word "day" came out of her lips, Ruan Zhaos eyes fell on the Buddhist temple behind the window.

An old lama appeared. He was wearing a red monks robe, covered with a purple-red shawl, and the bright yellow embroidery from his neck to his chest was only worn by the monks in the Tibetan temple.

Of course, it was not this lama who aroused her interest.

But the man who followed him, wearing a white shirt and black pants.

Most of the Tibetan temples are very dark inside, with narrow windows and no sunlight.

Butter lamps are burning in the Buddhist temple all year round.

The tour guide just told her that ordinary people cannot enter this Buddhist temple.

So she looked at this supposedly "unusual" man with great interest.

This man was always facing Ruan Zhao sideways. It was too dark in the temple, so she couldnt see his face clearly. She only saw him standing quietly, with his head slightly lowered, listening to the whispers of the old lama beside him. With such a clean and slender figure, even the simplest white shirt and black pants looked like a hanger.

Before seeing the skin, you can see the bones first.

Even Ruan Zhao, who is as picky as she is, has to admit that the bones of this "unusual" man in the temple are too good.

Such a thin but not frail figure, coupled with the natural superior proportions, is indeed attractive.

Ruan Zhao stood by the window, looking at the other person with great interest.

Zhaxi next to her saw that she stopped making the call, and couldnt help reminding: "Miss Ruan, lets continue forward..."

"Shh" Ruan Zhao raised his hand, put his finger to his lips, and made a silent gesture.

Zhaxi was so scared that he shut up immediately.

I dont know if Ruan Zhao stayed outside the window for too long, or her eyes were too straightforward.

Finally, the person in the hall seemed to notice something, and tilted his head slightly, just immersing his face in the slightly warm light of the butter lamp.

At this moment, Ruan Zhao had taken the other persons appearance into his eyes. The man had handsome eyebrows and eyes, and his neat short hair outlined a deep and smooth cheek contour. Such a handsome face that was almost ostentatious, but because there was no expression on his face, it seemed too cold.

At this moment, his black eyes were stained with the slightly yellow butter lamp light, but even such a warm tone did not make his eyes warm.

There was no emotion, and it was extremely cold.

Ruan Zhao stood there, still staring at him.

Until the other party raised his eyes slightly and glanced over.

His eyes slightly raised, and the warm light spread to the end of his eyes. The indifference, not only did not decrease, but became more and more overwhelming, attacking Ruan Zhao outside the window.

At the moment when the butter lamp wick swayed slightly, the two peoples sights met through the window lattice.

When Ruan Zhaos eyes clearly showed the mans appearance, she suddenly understood what it meant to have a heart-soul vibration, and a glance for a thousand years. Emotions kept accumulating in her chest, which was a strangeness she had never felt before.

Finally, when the emotion was about to burst out, a voice sounded in her mind.

This person, she wanted.